Eat for keeps with Leigh Elder

Our fast-food industry tends to regularly and publicly get chastised for the negative impact they are claimed to have on all our weight, diabetes and overall health issues. Too much salt, sugar, fat, super-sized portions and more of the same.

What about if we changed our whole attitude to the hundreds of thousands of fast-food outlets throughout the country, and actually positively engaged and worked with some of them to promote positive food changes and customer awareness?

During the last 10 years, EFK has engaged with a number of cafes, and our ideas for providing more sustaining, balanced food items have always been well received. In 2008 we ran a national programme right across Robert Harris coffee roasters' 50-plus cafes. By substituting sustaining ingredients like rolled oats, eggs and yoghurt for fast-digesting white flour and sugar, we produced a range of sustaining muffins, cakes, slices and sandwiches. This was well received by customers and a worthwhile initiative.

In 2011, as part of a staff wellness programme where a number of staff lost significant amounts of weight, we also made similar changes to the New World Brookfield Cafe. In fact, one day we changed the whole range of white bread sandwiches, bread cases and toasted sandwiches over to a really grainy ‘Barracuda Loaf'. Customers were happy with this and no complaints were received.

I'm a regular at Esquires Bayfair and have compared notes with Gary, the franchise owner, a number of times. His cabinet now includes more sustaining options like smaller portion savoury muffins, low-carb bread toasties, sustaining bliss balls, a colourful ‘power' salad, protein-packed Panini and excellent grain-bread club sandwiches. This reduction in simple carbohydrateS in favour of protein and healthy fats is brilliant.

EFK IS looking to continue to work proactively in this key area. Contact: leigh@eatforkeeps.com OR 027 294 1980.